MANY artists create their magic by drawing with pencils or painting with brushes, while sculptors carve their visions into wood, stone or ice. But U Htay Lwin Oo, an artist who lives in Pyinmana, combines several of these forms as he sketches pictures onto paper before carving them on bamboo. In Myanmar, bamboo is used for a variety of purposes, including building houses. U Htay Lwin Oo, a former public servant, has shown that with a little imagination it can be transformed into art. “There are many wood sculptors in Myanmar. I thought I could never catch up with them and what’s more,” he said, “I have a propensity for travelling off the beaten track.” Despite these words, U Htay Lwin Oo previously dabbled in the art of making carved wooden walking sticks before electing to take a different direction. While reading magazines from Japan and China in 2000, he was struck by a lack of creativity in the use of bamboo. “I wondered if I could create art using bamboo, instead of le